1. Field of the Art
This invention relates to a wrist mechanism useful for industrial robots and manipulators, and more particularly to a flexible wrist mechanism with improved positioning accuracy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Industrial robots and manipulators for welding and sealing operations are often used in a narrow or limited space, so that a wrist portion which holds a tool is desired to be able to take arbitrary positions or postures and to have a so-called flexible wrist which is freely flexible to ensure the maximum robot application ratio (e.g., the proportion of a robot applicable length in the whole length of a welding line or in the whole sealing length). However, conventional flexible wrist mechanisms in most cases have large play or vibratory motion which are attributable to their construction, and thus are unsuitable for application to operations which require a high degree of accuracy like a welding operation.